Village Vet is set to become the first veterinary group to have its clinics recognised as 'Cat Friendly' under the International Society of Feline Medicine's (ISFM) WellCat For Life programme, sponsored by Purina.

Working in partnership with Purina, each clinic is undergoing a bespoke 'moggie makeover' to help make visits as stress-free as possible for cats and their owners.

Founder of Village Vet, Brendan Robinson said: "We understand how stressful trips to the vets can be for both our feline friends and their owners. Cats account for 45% of our client base, so it is our goal to make visits to our practices as relaxed and stress-free as possible.

"The Hampstead practice, for example, is introducing a specialist cat ward situated well away from the sight and smell of dogs, with large, glass-fronted kennels that cut down noise and keep the cats hidden from each other.

"Another important change is the introduction of dedicated 'feline advocates' across each practice whose role is to 'think cat' and maintain the gold standard cat care. Front of house staff are also being trained to help owners make their cat as comfortable as possible in the waiting room, by directing them to the cat only waiting areas and offering towels to cover the baskets so cats feel safe and secure."

To help implement the changes, Purina has funded and organised practice visits with feline specialist Andrea Harvey. During her time with Village Vet, Andrea visited each practice to help train the 'feline advocates' and run workshops with vet nurses and front of house staff.

Rea Johnston from the Maida Vale Village Vet has been appointed as a 'feline advocate'. She said: "Here at Village Vet, we have always understood the importance of catering to cats' specific needs. But Andrea really helped inspire the team to think of practical changes that could make a real difference to our clients and their pets. Our support staff now have much greater confidence and it's making a big difference to our clients."

Claire Bessant, CEO at ISFM said: "As territorial animals, cats can become stressed as soon as they leave their home, so by the time they get to the vet practice they can be extremely anxious. This stress can manifest itself physically, which in extreme cases can affect diagnosis of certain conditions.

The Cat Friendly Clinic self-assessment scheme is open to any veterinary clinic that deals with cat patients. It lays out numerous requirements regarding the design, equipment and facilities within the clinic. Importantly, it also covers the quality of care provided to cats, the level of understanding of cats and their needs in the clinic, and interaction between the clinic and cat owners.

Reaching a gold or silver standard allows practices to display the Cat Friendly Clinic logo. For more information, visit: www.wellcat.org.

With dysentery apparently at its highest level for many years, Pfizer Animal Health has launched a new campaign to help increase awareness of the benefits of selecting the best prevention and treatment options.

Nigel Lodge MRCVS, Pfizer technical manager said: "The increase in dysentery can be attributed to a combination of factors including more frequent movement of weaners and a reduction in the level of feed medication resulting from the increasing use of more vaccines against other disease.

"With the early onset of winter, we know that dysentery will survive outside the pig for up to seven weeks in cold moist conditions and other pathogens for considerably longer."

The campaign is headed by a new guide, 'Enteric Disease Management', which looks at prevention and treatment of the problem, one of the most costly to the producer. Dysentery alone is estimated to cost more than £10 / pig finished considering higher mortality, increased feed costs and non-marketable animals.

The guide says that according to the housing system some of the pathogens have extremely long survival times - three months for E coli, nine months for salmonella and one year for coronavirus (transmissible gastroenteritis).  It provides advice on limiting infection and reducing stress on the pigs.

Mr Lodge says that the incidence of dysentery fluctuates in different areas of the country with varying antibiotic sensitivity.  Hence, a sensitivity test is essential when deciding on a particular medication.

With enteric diseases in general, there are a wide range of causes - including bacteria, viruses, parasites, management or nutrition.  Mr Lodge said: "The causal agent can sometimes be diagnosed from clinical signs, such as dysentery, but generally post mortem and laboratory diagnosis is required.

"There are various antibiotic products which can be used but all should only be used after management issues such as bio security, pen management and rodent control have been addressed.

"Some products are specific in their activity, such as Lincocin Premix and swine dysentery. Others have a broad spectrum of activity and should be used where mixed infections are diagnosed.  Linco-Spectin Premix, for instance, is active against E coli, Salmonella, ileitis, swine dysentery and other enteric bacteria."

Copies of the new publication - including a competition to win two prizes of one tonne of pig feed - are available from Pfizer Animal Health via Scott Wheway Tel: 01737 330941 or scott.a.wheway@pfizer.com

Improve International has launched the latest tranche of online training for those seeking qualification as an Official Veterinarian (OV). 

The company says completion of the new training modules will lead to qualification in the following areas:

• OCQ(V) - SS (Statutory Surveillance)
  Covering statutory surveillance activities for 'endemic' diseases other than bTB.  These are currently Brucellosis, Anthrax and Sheep Scab. 
• OCQ(V) - EX (Exports, General)
  This is a foundation for other export modules, covering the basics of international trade and export certification and procedures. 
• OCQ(V) - SX (Small Animal Exports)
  The export of  companion animals, including pet birds and the Pet Travel Scheme.  It also includes the commercial export of  small animals, including the export of small zoo and laboratory animals. 
• OCQ (V) - UX (Ungulates export)
  Covering the export of ungulates, including equidae and large zoo and laboratory animals.

Improve has developed the training modules in conjunction with its assessment partner, the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ESVPS) and Harper Adams University, which validates the qualifications.

Improve was appointed to handle OV registration and training in England, Scotland and Wales by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) earlier this year. In August, it launched www.improve-ov.com, a new OV registration and training website which contains details of the new process and the new OCQ(V) qualification. Under the new system, individuals or employers fund their own OV training but benefit from the fact that they can access the majority of course content 24/7 on the new website at a convenient time and without having to be absent from the practice.

Existing OVs have 'grandfather rights' as long as they register on the new database by 31 March 2015. In addition, a revalidation requirement has been introduced for the first time which ensures all OV's will remain up to date.

Bethan Stephens MRCVS from the Milfeddygon Deufor practice in Wales, who has recently undertaken some OV training, said: "I found the registration and training easy to understand and it was very useful to be able to tackle it in bite-sized chunks over a few weeks, as and when I had time."

David Babington (pictured right), Managing Director of Improve International, said: "We've received an enthusiastic response to the OV training already launched and the number of vets both registering and qualifying continues to show  the desirability of these qualifications in an increasingly competitive  veterinary sector. We are working to a tight schedule to deliver all of the new OCQ(V) training by February 2015 and are delighted to launch the latest set of courses."  

For further information, visit www.improveinternational.com or call 01793 759159.

Dechra Veterinary Products has published a new podcast for vets about treating animals with otitis. 

In the 15 minute podcast, Carolyn Kyte, a vet in general practice, talks to Natalie Barnard, a veterinary dermatology specialist from Highcroft Referrals, and together they share their experience of the challenges of treating animals with otitis and explain why owners play a important role in successful treatment of the condition. 

Dechra Brand Manager Carol Morgan said: “Otitis is very common, particularly in dogs, but there is no ‘quick fix’ when some underlying factors are causing the problem. This can lead to frustration for the pet’s owners and animals not getting the consistent treatment they need to get better.  

“What Carolyn and Natalie bring to the table with their new podcast for the Dechra Academy is a light and insightful discussion about communication and education being the keystone for better otitis outcomes and how vets can improve on their consultation skills to handle cases better.”   

The otitis podcast is here: https://academy.dechra.com/learn/course/internal/view/elearning/1034/think-differently-about-otitis

With less than one month to go before all cats are required to be microchipped, Michelle Townley MRCVS, veterinary advisor to HomeAgain, has shared six ways to address the more common concerns that pet owners have about microchipping: 

Tip 1 – Make sure that pet owners understand the functions of a microchip properly
Michelle says: "Some customers I’ve spoken to wrongly believe that microchips function as GPS trackers. To help manage pet owners’ expectations I always stress the importance of a microchip in lost pet recovery scenarios, where they serve as a permanent form of identification."

Tip 2 – Stress the importance of pet owners updating their contact details with their microchip provider
Michelle says: "Pet owners often think that updating contact details with their vet will automatically sync these changes with the microchip database. It’s vital to inform owners that they must separately update their contact information with their microchip database.  I’d recommend regularly reminding pet owners to check and update their microchip registration."

Tip 3 – Reassure pet owners that microchips are safe for their cats
Michelle says: "I’ve had some owners express worries about allergic reactions or rejection of the microchip by their cat's body. So it’s worth taking the opportunity to dispel this myth  during routine wellness exams by explaining microchips are made from inert, biocompatible materials designed to be nonallergenic and nontoxic. 

Tip 4 – Make sure to discuss the longevity of microchips with pet owners
Michelle says: Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of the pet without needing a power source and that their functionality can easily be verified during any veterinary visit. If you find an owner expresses concerns about this, you could offer to check the microchip as part of regular health checks to demonstrate its reliability.

Tip 5 – Emphasise how every cat needs a microchip – regardless of age or activity level
Michelle says: "All vets will know even indoor or elderly cats can escape or wander off and older cats can become disoriented more easily. It is worth reminding owners that microchipping is a safeguard, ensuring their pet can be identified and returned home if lost. The new law means that pet owners can also face a large £500 fine if their cat isn’t microchipped."

Tip 6 – Explain how not all microchips are the same and the importance of getting the right one
Michelle says: I often explain that microchips vary in terms of the technology they employ, such as the new 'Thermochip' by HomeAgain that also measures a cat’s subcutaneous temperature. It’s worth talking pet owners through the different microchips available and the database options so they can make an informed choice.

http://homeagain.co.uk/Cats 

The RCVS Charitable Trust, has announced a complete rebranding that includes a change of name - RCVS Knowledge - and the refocus of its mission on supporting the flourishing evidence based veterinary medicine (EBVM) movement across the globe.

For the past 50 years, the charity has been known as a small funder of veterinary research and the home of the only freely-accessible library for the practising veterinary community in the UK.

Nick Royle, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge said: "RCVS Knowledge is a name that encompasses our three core offerings: historical knowledge represented by our valuable Historical Collection, present knowledge, represented by our library, and future knowledge, represented by the new evidence based veterinary medicine  project, which is underpinned by our grants programme."

The RCVS Knowledge re-launch goes further than a mere name change, and  comes as the charity refocuses its efforts to become a global intermediary for EBVM, a direction reached following a period of consultation, and on the back of a successful symposium on the subject held at the end of 2012.

Nick, a former CEO of the human evidence based medicine resource, The Cochrane Collaboration, said: "Today, veterinary surgeons and nurses are required to take account of an ever-increasing pool of scientific data, the owners' values and preferences, and their own clinical expertise when making clinical decisions. RCVS Knowledge is ideally placed to generate, collate and distribute this information to support evidence based practices. We aim to develop tools to assist practitioners to quickly make well-informed treatment decisions."

As part of the new direction, the Historical Collection will be made accessible and available online, following a start-up grant from the Wellcome Trust. Clare Boulton, Head of Library and Information Services, said: "The Collection contains priceless and fascinating material, covering topics such as early horse-care and management, veterinary expeditions of discovery through Africa, and research that made the British Cavalry horses of 1914 the finest in the world. But this is just the beginning. If you have relevant experience or some funds that could help us, please get in touch."

Meanwhile, RCVS Knowledge's Library and Information Service will be re-designed to make it much more than shelves of journals, but rather a resource with the capacity to steer first-rate care and innovation, and an information engine capable of driving evidence based veterinary medicine at a global level.

The Grants and Awards program, for which the former RCVS Charitable Trust has been known, will be redesigned to celebrate professional excellence, and to address gaps in veterinary knowledge. Nick said: "We are aware of the responsibilities that veterinary surgeons and nurses face every day and feel we are in a position to support their decision making. We would like to urge every veterinary professional with an interest in EBVM, a curiosity about the history of their profession or a need to access up-to-date research to get in touch, so that we can keep you up to date with developments."

Warwick John Seymour-Hamilton, a former veterinary surgeon who was struck off 27 years ago, has had his ninth application to be restored to the Register rejected on the basis that he would pose a risk to animal welfare if he were to practise as a veterinary surgeon.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton made previous unsuccessful applications for restoration in 1995, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton was originally removed from the Register in 1994 following an inspection of his veterinary practice premises in Orpington, Kent, that found that the condition of the practice, including the equipment and facilities, were of such a risk to animal health and welfare that it brought the profession into disrepute.

In considering his current application, the Committee had to take several factors into account, including: whether Mr Seymour-Hamilton had accepted the findings of his original hearing; whether he demonstrated insight into his past conduct; protection of the public and the public interest; the future welfare of animals committed to his care should he be restored; length of time off the Register; his conduct since removal; and evidence that he’d kept up-to-date in terms of the knowledge and skills required of a practising veterinary surgeon.

Mr Seymour-Hamilton accepted the facts of the original charges but did not accept the conclusions of the two veterinary surgeons who inspected his practice, who, he claimed, had falsely accused him.

As a result, the Committee concluded that Mr Seymour-Hamilton did not accept the seriousness of the original findings against him, nor had he demonstrated any insight into either the original charges, nor what was required of him to enable a successful application for restoration.

Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee is driven to the conclusion that the applicant has displayed total disregard for rules and regulations. In his evidence he stated that he is professionally competent to spay a cat  and  he had done so in Calais. This was in recent years and whilst struck off by the RCVS, and after more than 25 years out of the profession. He was unable to see that he had done anything wrong in this.”

As to protection of the public and the future welfare of animals committed to his care, the Committee found that Mr Seymour-Hamilton continued to display a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of regulation. He had shown no insight into previous decisions or of what was required of him to enable a successful restoration, despite being given advice in that regard. He presented no compelling evidence to indicate that he would be safe to practise veterinary surgery were he to be restored to the Register.  

Regarding Mr Seymour-Hamilton’s conduct since removal from the Register, the Committee found he did not demonstrate sufficient relevant conduct in relation to his fitness to practise. The Committee noted that, on previous occasions, he had indicated he had illegally practised veterinary surgery and admitted using his own animals to experimentally administer new and untested remedies.

The Committee found that, in relation to the 27 years since removal from the Register, Mr Seymour-Hamilton had not undertaken the prolonged, intensive and formal retraining needed to ensure he was now fit to practise. It also found that, since the last restoration hearing in 2020, Mr Seymour-Hamilton had undertaken very little continuing professional development, maintaining that he was too busy with his work relating to herbal remedies to attend formal veterinary training.

Judith Webb added: “He claimed that he does not find it difficult to keep up-to-date, because he is able to perform online searches if he is in need of information. He thinks that he is competent to operate even after 27 years out of the profession, and maintains that he could operate now. In the view of the Committee, the applicant is totally unaware of current veterinary principles such as it being an evidence-based profession, use of clinical audit and reflective learning. He does not appear to have accepted the purpose of the regulator in protecting public interest, including maintaining public confidence in the profession, nor its role in upholding professional standards and promoting animal welfare. 

The Committee considers that where some 27 years have passed since the applicant has practised, there will inevitably be a serious risk to the welfare of animals if he is restored to the Register. In addition, the Committee is firmly of the opinion that it would not be in the public interest for the application for restoration to the RCVS Register to be granted in this case.”

The full documentation from the restoration hearing can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Ceva Animal Health has announced that it will be bolstering its spring Feliway TV advertising campaign with a campaign across the London Underground to help extend its reach to light TV viewers.

The campaign will once again feature the brand's 'That Purple Cat' character. Highlighting stress-related feline behaviour problems and encouraging cat owners to talk to their vet about Feliway, the advertisement will appear on channels such as ITV2, E4, More4 and Channel 4 (London only) from 14 February until 27 March.

The campaign will also be running on 50 high impact TV screens on the London Underground from 28 February until 13 March and 18 April until 1 May. So, according to the company, the ad will not only reach over 1.2 million people who commute and use the Underground every day, but will also be seen by millions on one of the busiest days of the year on the Underground, the Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Julia Wood, product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "By extending our advertising campaign across the London Underground we are complimenting our TV campaign and targeting commuters with busy lifestyles - who spend little time watching TV - during a unique point in their day."

To support the campaign, Ceva is offering veterinary practices free merchandising material including client leaflets, double sided A3 posters and A5 window stickers. A range of offers are also available for free mini merchandisers and digital photo frames in return for purchasing product. In addition, Ceva is running a prize draw for £250 worth of Champneys Spa vouchers for that 'purrfect' pampering session.

For more information, please contact your Ceva account manager or call 01494 781510.

The RCVS has launched a revamp of its website, www.rcvs.org.uk, now redesigned to make it easier for people find what they want, faster.

The redesign includes an overhaul of the layout, structure and navigation of all the College’s websites: Professionals, Animal Owners, Find a Vet and RCVS Knowledge. 

Some of the main changes are:

• A new level of navigation at the top of every page to make it easier to switch between the College’s different sites (similar to the BBC website).
• A greater focus on important content and services straight from the homepage, including latest updates from 'external' sites like Mind Matters and Vet/VN Futures.
• A dedicated site for the College’s Find a Vet service, with further improvements that make it easier to find veterinary practices, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
• New 'mega menus' and improved search tools.
• Page design and layout more in line with current best practice, to make reading easier and navigation simpler.
• A 'mobile first' approach to design to ensure the website works optimally on all mobile devices, as well as desktop.

Ian Holloway, Head of Communications, said: "We’re delighted to be launching our new-look site today and hope all the improvements we’ve incorporated will make using the site a much better experience for veterinary professionals and animal owners alike.

"Working closely with our website provider, NetXtra, over the past nine months, we’ve been able to develop a new-look site with vastly improved design, structure and navigation, whilst avoiding the major expense of building a completely new website from scratch.

"We’re very grateful to them, and to all those vets, vet nurses and members of the public who have helped us with user-testing and content mapping to improve the site as much as possible for everyone who uses it."

Anyone with any comments or feedback about the new-look site is invited to send it to communications@rcvs.org.uk.

Bayer is highlighting a new study which, the company says, proves that a 'metaphylactic' treatment approach to coccidiosis - when the animal has been infected, but before the disease has had chance to take hold - produces the best long term results¹.

The research spanned a two year period where heifer calves on two farms that had previously experienced problems with naturally acquired coccidiosis, were divided into two groups. One group was treated with Baycox and one group remained untreated. The calves were then monitored for two years to gather the long term results following the coccidiosis treatment.

Sharon Cooksey BVSc, MRCVS, Bayer Animal Health Group Product Manager said: "The results demonstrated that treatment with Baycox at the right time significantly reduced the average age to first service by 24 days in comparison with the non-treated control group.

"Other key long term benefits following treatment included positive effects on certain fertility parameters, including overall pregnancy rate, the first service conception rate and average services per conception as well as a significant reduction in oocyst shedding in the treatment group." 

Sharon says the take home message of the new research is the paramount importance of getting treatment right at the right time, before coccidiosis develops and causes any long term implications: "The positive impact on heifer development from correct subclinical coccidiosis treatment is clear to see in this research, with the reduction of days to first service alone being a powerful reason for farmers to seek veterinary advice."

Reference

1. Veronesi F, Nisoli L, Diaferia M, Falcini R, Ficola E, Fioretti DP (2013) Influence of metaphylactic treatment with Baycox® Bovis on the reproductive performances of Fresian heifers: a preliminary study. Parasitol Res.

Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Yorkshire, has installed a £12,000 Envair CytoFAST Elite cytotoxic safety cabinet to shield its oncology team from exposure to cytotoxic drugs.

The operation of the equipment is being overseen by Dr Rodney Ayl, a specialist in both medical and radiation oncology. He said: "The need for protection of personnel during preparation of cytotoxic drugs presents the most significant obstacle to the safe provision of chemotherapy, as most practices are not equipped with an appropriate biosafety cabinet. This is especially true when there is a high case-load of chemotherapy patients."

Dr Ayl says the dangers of repeatedly handling and administering cancer drugs can be severe. He added: “The likelihood of drug exposure must be taken into account when considering the safety of personnel who handle cytotoxic drugs.

"The cumulative toxicity to personnel that arises from repeated contact with these drugs can cause health problems in the nursing staff that are beyond those expected in the patient.

"The main routes of personnel exposure to cytotoxic drugs are by aerosolisation or by absorption through skin.

"Both types of exposure can occur when preparing drugs for administration. The act of withdrawing cytotoxic drug from the vial into a syringe is generally the step that presents personnel with the greatest potential for exposure to a high concentration of drug. 

"Ideally, personnel are optimally protected from drug exposure, and patients are protected from contamination of the product, by the use of a laminar flow biosafety cabinet (BCS) during drug preparation, regardless of whether a closed delivery system is used.

"The Envair CytoFAST BSC has been designed to guarantee the product, personnel and environmental protection.

"It belongs to the latest generation of laminar airflow systems and is built to the highest quality to guarantee the strictest safety standards - and the safety of our people is paramount at Paragon."